Lighting fixture leveling support



1962 T. c. HALFAKER 3,051,430

' LIGHTING FIXTURE LEVELING SUPPORT Filed June 30, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2I m ,27 i Z /9 M newrme =1 mamas Cf/l/MFA'AL? w 5 l 3r M /wiwag [Fix/575,

3,051,430 LIGHTING FIXTURE LEVELING UPPORT Thomas C. Halfaker, Overiand,Mm, assignor to Day- Brite Lighting, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporationof Missouri Filed June 30, 1961, Ser. No. 121,189 Claims. (ill. 248343)This invention relates to leveling supports for lighting fixtures and isparticularly directed to improved means for supporting fixtures in adrop ceiling assembly and for providing adjustment to obtain levelingand flush positioning of the same.

Drop ceiling construction for buildings is exceedingly popular anduseful since there is provided a plenum space hidden from the occupiedspace which can be used for electrical wiring and air conditioning andheating services. Therefore, the visible side of the ceiling is clear ofall unsightly equipment, and the like. The plenum space, on the otherhand, is oftentimes a maze of wires, conduits, structural members andapparatus. All of these things are important and usually must maintain aparticular position in relation to the surrounding things. For example,the drop ceiling tiles or panels are carried upon a grid of structuralmembers arranged in a set pattern of rectangular openings to suit thetiles or panels. members are suspended upon wires or the like which arespaced apart so that conduits, wires and other objects can beconveniently arranged. Thus when the lighting fixtures are assembled inthe ceiling and supported by the grid of structural members, great caremust be exercised to locate the supports so as not to strike adjacentobjects and the current yoke-type support is particularly troublesome toinstall.

On the other hand, a support which eliminates the use of yokes is muchto be desired and it is an object of this invention to provide a novelsupport which is easily attached to lighting fixture bodies and does notrequire large clearance areas in a ceiling plenum space.

It is another object of this invention to provide a support for lightingfixtures which embodies novel means for operating a support member ofextend-retract character in combination with leveling movement.

The invention is embodied in a preferred form disclosed in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

' FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of a dropceiling assembly in which a lighting fixture is mounted; FIG. 2 is anend elevation of the fixture seen at line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in section, of thesupport;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the support seen at line 44 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional plan view of the support taken at line 55 in FIG.3.

With reference to FIG. 1 it may be seen that the body to be supported ina drop ceiling assembly is disposed adjacent to structural members 11and is supported by such members as Will be hereinafter described. Thestructural members 11 cooperate with auxiliary members 12 in a gridpattern to support ceiling tiles or panels 13 to as to enclose a plenumspace above the panels 13. The auxiliary members 12 are suitablyattached (not shown) to the structural members 11, and the structuralmembers 11 are supported by drop wires 14 or other suitable suspensionmeans, wherein the wires 14 are formed with a loop 15 in which thestructural members 11 are located. The foregoing is considered to beconventional practice in the art, particularly with reference to theassembly and support of lighting fixtures in a drop ceiling assembly,and while the body 10 is shown as a lighting fixture,

The grid 3,@51,43@ Patented Aug. 28, 1962 it is appreciated that otherhousings or bodies may be installed in like manner.

The means for supporting body 10 in the drop ceiling assembly is shownat 16 in FIG. 1 and it is also shown in greater detail in FIGS. 2-5inclusive. It is observed that the body 10 is provided with foursupports 16 located in such manner that they cooperate to affordadequate support to sustain the weight of the body and to providecontact with the structural members 11 whereby the body 10 may be flushmounted relative to the panels 13. Each of the supports 16 is identicaland it will be understood that a description of one thereof will applyto each of the supports. Moreover, in reference to FIG. 2, it may benoted that the supports 16 may be used on the right and left sides ofthe body 10 without difliculty since it is not necessary to take intoaccount right or left hand parts in a device as simply constructed as isthe support of this invention.

In connection with FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 the support 16 includes a frame 17formed with a top flange 18 and a bottom flange 19 having a portionformed at an angle with respect to a more horizontal flange portion. Theflanges 18 and 19 are suitably apertured to receive an adjusting screw20 in which the head 21 is disposed adjacent the bottom flange 19 andthe opposite end is removably secured in the aperture of flange 18 by asnapon type clip 21a.- Ihis manner of mounting the adjusting screw 2%permits rotation thereof without longitudinal displacement. Theadjusting screw 20 operatively supports a carrier element 22 havingupper and lower legs 23 formed with extruded apertures of which theaperture in one leg is provided with threads which match the threads onthe adjusting screw 20 and the other aperture serves as a guide for thecarrier element 22. The carrier element is adapted to support arm 24 insuch position that it passes between the closed side of the carrier 22and the adjusting screw 20. Arm 24 is limited in its lengthwise movementby end stops 25. The arm 24 is longitudinally displaced by a clutch typedrive member 26 in the form of a tubular friction element havingvertical ribs on the exterior surface in contact with the side face ofthe arm 24, and also being fitted over the adjusting screw 20 so as torotate therewith as will be explained hereinafter.

In the view of FIGS. 3 and 4 the threads on adjusting screw 26 arepitched to drive the arm 24 rightwardly or outwardly over the structuralmember 11 upon clockwise rotation. Thus, retraction of arm 24 isobtained by counterclockwise rotation of the adjusting screw 20, andthis counterclockwise rotation also produces upward displacement of thecarrier element 22. It is obvious then that clockwise rotation of theadjusting screw 21} will first effect outward extension of the arm 24 tothe limit of the left hand stop 25 and then downward displacement of thecarrier element 22 so that the arm 24 may be first projected outwardlyover the structural member 11 and then brought downwardly into contactwith the member 11. Once the arm 24 has engaged the structural member11, further clockwise rotation of the adjusting screw 20 will produce avertical displacement of the body 10 for the purpose of drawing the body10 up into flush engagement with the panels 13 as shown in FIG. 2.

The support 16 is very quickly and easily attached to the side wall 27of the body 10 by means of a locating slot 28 in the side wall forreceiving a tang 29 on the frame 17. The flange 19 below tang 29 issecured to the side wall 27 by a machine screw 30 which will provideadequate strength to maintain the support 16 on the body 10 under theweight to be carried thereby. Access to the adjusting screw head 21 isobtained through an aperture or opening 31 in the body side wall 27.

It is observed in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4' that rotation ofadjusting screw 26 will drive the carrier element 22 up and down alongthe length-of the screw and in so doing the legs 23 will entrap theclutch member 26 and force it to travel along the length of theadjusting screw. When the member 26 engages either the upper or thelower legs 23 it may cease rotation since it frictionally engages theleg 23 which arrests rotation thereof. The member 26 is made somewhatshorter than the space or distance between the legs 23 so that during acertain number of revolutions of the adjusting screw 20 the member 26will be free to rotate from its position adjacent one leg 23 until itassumes another position in contact with the opposite leg 23. Rotationof member 26 is therefore utilized to propel or retract arm 24 withrespect to the frame 17. It is further observed that member 26 may ormay not stop rotating when engaged by either leg 23, but it is morelikely to rotate with the screw 2!} so that there will be slippageproduced between it and the surface of arm 24.

In the view of FIG. 5 it will appear that the carrier element 23 has acertain degree of angular looseness relative to the frame 17 due toclearance provided between the outer ends of the spaced legs 23 and theadjacent surface of the frame 17. The clearance space thus providedpermits a certain amount of angular displacement or wobble of the arm 24so that the arm 24 may move from the full line position to the brokenline position without ditficulty. The wobble motion of arm 24 is highlyuseful since it substantially automatically takes care of thepossibility of arm 24 Striking a support loop on the structural member11. Should the loop 15 be exactly lined up with the extended position ofarm '24 when in the full line position disclosed in FIG. 5, the wobbleprovided by carrier element 22 will come into play so that arm 24 canmove to the broken line position and thereby slide past the loop 15.This is of great advantage since it eliminates the time consumingassembly work now required so that no obstruction will be encountered ininstalling yoke type supports or any other support.

In the example of this invention the adjusting screw 20 is provided witha double thread and is angularly movable through two completerevolutions to fully extend or fully withdraw the arm 24. Thereafter thecarirer element 22 and the drive member 26 move up or down as a unitwithout further displacement of the arm 24.

Since all of the supports 16 are identical and do not have right or lefthand assembly features it is a very simple installing operation to placethe fixture body It} in the ceiling opening after which a screwdrivermay be inserted in each of the access openings 31 to extend the supportarms 24 over the structural members 11. Thereafter, assuming the fixtureis not drawn up flush with the ceiling panels 13, continued screwdriveroperation of the adjusting screws 20 in a clockwise direction (or in thedirection of a right hand thread) will produce relative motion in whichthe body 10 will be drawn upwardly relative to the structural members 11until a flush position has been obtained. It is observed that there isno different motion required between one side and the other of the body10 which greatly simplifies installation and removal. When removing thebody 10, counterclockwise rotation of the adjusting screws 20 willinitially tend to retract the arms 24, however the outermost stops 25will prevent displacement of the arms 24 and relative slipping willoccur between the clutch members 26 and the arms 24 until sufficientvertical displacement has been produced to lift the outermost stops 25above the structural members 11. Thereafter the arms 24 will immediatelyretract or be drawn inwardly so that the body 10 can be removed withoutdifficulty. Reinstallation of the body 10 may be effected by reversingthe foregoing procedure.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown anddescribed herein, it is understood hat modifications, changes andalterations may be 4 made therein, and it is maintained that all suchmodifications and changes which are or may be considered equivalent areto be included within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. The combination with a body to be supported in a ceiling assembly, ofa leveling support carried by the body and engaging with a part of theceiling assembly, said support including a frame attached to the body,an adjustment screw rotatably mounted on said frame against linearmovement, a carrier operably mounted on said screw to move relative tosaid frame along the length of the screw, a support arm movably mountedin said carrier for extension and retraction relative to said frame,said arm and carrier moving together along the length of said screw uponrotation of the screw, and means in said carrier engaged on said screwand having friction engagement with said arm for extending andretracting said arm depending upon the direction of screw rotation.

2. The combination with a body to be supported in a suspended ceilingassembly, of a leveling support carried by the body and engaging with apart of the ceiling assembly, said support including a frame attached tothe body, an adjustment screw rotatably mounted on said frame againstlinear movement, a carrier operably mounted on said screw to moverelative to said frame along the length of the' screw, a support armmovably mounted in said carrier for extension and retraction relative tosaid frame, said arm and carrier moving together along the length ofsaid screw upon rotation of the screw, and friction clutch means carriedby said carrier along the adjusting screw and operated by screwrotation, said clutch means having engagement with said support arm tofrictionally drive said arm to extended and retracted positions.

3. The combination with a body to be supported in a suspended ceilingassembly, of a leveling support carried by the body and engaging with apart of the ceiling assembly, said support including a frame attached tothe body, an adjustment screw rotatably mounted on said frame againstlinear movement, a carrier operably mounted on said screw to moverelative to said frame along the length of the screw, a support armmovably mounted in said carrier for extension and retraction relative tosaid frame, said arm and carrier moving together along the length ofsaid screw upon rotation of the screw, and a clutch element mounted onsaid adjusting screw and having limited lost-motion movement relative tosaid carrier, said element engaging said support arm and moving the armto extended and retracted positions depending upon direction of screwrotation, said arm movement being effected substantially within thelimited lost-motion movement of said clutch element.

4. The combination with a body to be supported in a structure havingmounting wires, of a support on the body engaging the structure withoutinterfering with the mounting wires, said support including a frame onsaid body, a support arm extending from said frame to the structure, andmeans operably connecting said arm and frame comprising an adjustingscrew rotatably carried by said frame and fixed against axial movement,a carrier threadedly engaged on said screw and having spaced legs, saidsupport arm being carried between said legs, and a clutch element insaid carrier frictionally engaged with said support arm and operated bysaid screw to move said support arm to extended position from said frameand to retract said support arm, said clutch element and carriercombining to limit the support arm to substantially linear movement.

5. A body support comprising a frame, an adjusting screw mounted on saidframe for rotation without axial displacement, a carrier having spacedlegs with apertures 5 engaged on said screw, said element being shorterthan the spacing between said legs so as to rotate with said screw andmove lengthwise thereof within the limits of the space between saidlegs, and an arm movably carried on said carrier and engaged with saidfriction element, said 5 arm having end stops to limit movement thereof,rotation of said screw determining the direction of rotation of saidfriction element and the direction of movement of said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,954,201 Pascucci Sept. 27, '1960 2,966,325 Pascucci Dec. 27 19603,018,082 Berger Jan. 23, 1962

